25 Or 6 To 4 Hundred
I spent thirteen years working here, and for the most part I enjoyed my time. I would do it all again if the opportunity came along.
I was really proud of my dad and what he built, and proud to work for him. He had the big custom built home, the new Corvette and the largest boat on Lake Scugog. He was successful.
During my tenure, I learned all facets of the operation, starting as an entry-level wheel & tire tech, then dismantler and later progressing to roles such as heavy equipment operator, towing and vehicle delivery, outside sales and parts delivery, inside sales and staff supervision.
Throughout its history, Scala Bros. demonstrated a track record of sound decision-making and incredibly hard work, resulting in prosperity and the creation of good-paying jobs. However, during its final years some crucial missteps were made, primarily with our inventory management.
There are two main components involved in auto parts inventory management:
- 1) Physical information
- 2) Exchange information
For example, if you want to buy a windshield for a 2015 Chevy Equinox, we first check to see what other cars will interchange with your 2015 Equinox, and then check our physical inventory to see if we have any of the cars listed in the interchange. In the case of your Chevy Equinox, a GMC Terrain's windshield will also fit your car, so we check to see if we have any Equinoxes or Terrains.
When I was hired, we were still using a paper-based inventory system to keep track of our physical inventory. It was slow, clunky and terribly unreliable. To determine which parts were compatible with various car models we consulted massive 'interchange' books. They were also slow and clunky, as this gentleman demonstrates in this this video. These books and paper inventory system seemed ridiculous to me, since I had been heavily involved with computer software for almost a decade at this point. I had developed proficiency in database systems like Superbase on the Commodore computer, DBase and Oracle on the IBM PC platform. I could build a solution for very low cost, and in a very short period of time.
It would have been ideal to automate our clunky interchange process in addition to our paper-based inventory system, but at the bare minimum we needed to automate our inventory. I persistently advocated for the adoption of this technology, proposing the implementation of a basic solution like DBase on a $1,200 PC — a modest investment for a company with annual revenues exceeding $1 Million (equal to $3 Million in 2024), but despite my efforts over several years using several different approaches, I was unable to persuade my father and his partner to embrace these ideas. Sadly, their adherence to traditional methods starkly contrasted with our competitors, who were rapidly integrating modern technologies into their operations. I can confirm this as a fact because I visited our major competitors weekly as part of my job.
The Shift in Customer Expectations
As the automotive parts industry progressed, a significant change occurred in customer behavior. Our competitors gained an advantage by offering immediate responses to inquiries, typically beginning with "Do you have...?" This swift service became increasingly appealing to our clientele.
Our Outdated Approach
In contrast, Scala Bros continued with a less efficient process:
- We frequently asked customers to wait while we checked inventory.
- Our standard response, "Let me check our inventory and I'll get back to you," became a liability.
- These self-imposed delays frustrated our busy customers.
A Missed Opportunity
What made the situation particularly frustrating was the untapped potential within our organization. We had an in-house computer expert whose skills could have been leveraged to address this very issue, yet we failed to utilize this valuable resource effectively.
This oversight highlighted a critical gap between our capabilities and our actual performance in meeting evolving customer needs.
Some people wondered why I started a side business in IT consulting when my family already owned a successful enterprise. Why did I spend my days working for my dad and my nights an hour away in Toronto modernizing other companies, often sleeping on cardboard on warehouse floors before heading back to work for my dad the next morning? One ignorant outsider actually called me disloyal, but the fact is, after countless failed attempts to convince my father that I could make our company more competitive, I took on the venture for 2 reasons: (1) to show my capabilities in real world scenarios, and (2) to have a fall-back in case our family business failed, which I felt it would if we didn't smarten up. Time was ticking; our competitors were accelerating the gap between us and them and our sales were gradually slowing down, so it was my absolute last-ditch effort to show the owners that I had the skills and knowledge to help us thrive in the rapidly approaching digital age. If James Lumbers Publishing, the largest art publisher in Canada, and Port Perry Auto Glass, a highly-respected and rapidly expanding local business, among many other companies, had all placed their trust in me for their computer inventory systems, then it stands to reason that Scala Bros would, too?
Things got too tight and the company was subsequently sold, leading to a division between the partners. My father retired, while my uncle took a position at Carcone's Auto Recycling, which was one of our major competitors.
The business was 25 years old going on 26. It could have —and should have— lasted 4 Hundred.